Captivate Me
by SpeakWhenItRains
Summary: All Raven wants to do is read. So why does her focus keep trailing back to a certain Boy Wonder sitting next to her? [On hiatus.]
1. Chapter 1

Truth be told, Raven had never hated spending time with her teammates. In the beginning, she was wary of them, sure, but hate was a word specially reserved for her father. And those were two "families" that did not mix.

_At least not yet. _A shiver danced along her spine, toying with the lightest touch against her skin. She focused back on her book, partially listening to the conversation in front of her.

"But I do not understand. Why do the flowers have teeth, and why must they dislike the fat man in red so much?"

"Chill out, Star." Beast Boy's voice was accompanied by a controlled slamming of buttons. "It's just a game."

From the corner of her eye, Raven watched Starfire turn, looking at the changeling until Robin spoke.

"I think he means sometimes things don't need explaining. They just are."

Raven felt something of a breeze whisper through her. There was something underneath Robin's statement...

"But the princess." Starfire looked back at him, green eyes touched with worry. "She is always in another place of staying."

The back cushion beside Raven, the one Robin was resting against, moved as their leader shrugged one shoulder.

"We'll see."

The team quieted, four of the five titans continuing to watch the game's development, the only noise in the Common Area being the classic 8-bit music accompanied by the occasional _boing _and pew-pew of fireballs. A riveting soundtrack to a book about ancient medicine, really. And then, a short score Raven hadn't heard in a while.

"Aww, yeah! My turn, baby!" Cyborg snatched the controller away from Beast Boy, whose arms flailed in a vain attempt to retrieve the controller. Cyborg's hand holding his face back helped with this.

"C'mon, man! That was like a developing error!"

"On a game like this? No way. You died fair and square. Now watch me beat your high score."

"Yeah, right. It's a _shared_ score, Einstein. You're just going to help both of us."

Raven's attention moved away from the conversation, Cyborg's playful reply nothing more than a drone of background noise as she felt movement behind her. Robin's arm was draped along the back of the couch—it had been ever since he vaulted over the back of it and landed next to her. When his hand kept its distance away from any part of her, Raven forgot about it. But now that hand had lifted, fingers delicately toying with her hair. Loosely wrapping a lock around his finger.

_He's lost in watching the game. _Raven told herself. _Absent-mindedness. I'm sure he'll realize what he's doing and snap out of it._

She waited, eyes continuing to move along words about voodoo but understanding none of it. They scanned the same line at the top of the page over again, a distant part of her knowing she'd already learned whatever it was saying. But the rest of her brain was focused on the gloved hand hovering behind her neck, fingers still fascinated by the ends of her hair.

An emotion began to creep up, looming towards her chest. Raven immediately silenced it, shoving it back down with the thought of patience. People get lost in thought; sometimes it takes time for them to get out of their own head. The book containing things she already knew suddenly seemed much more interesting.

Four pages and another video game life later, the controller was in Beast Boy's hands. Another paragraph, and she heard the classic score again.

"Duude!" Beast Boy cried, half-tossing the controller down. "What is _with_ this level? I can't get past these dang fish!"

"Well we better find a way to." Cyborg said. "We only got two more lives left."

A tiny part of Raven's attention withdrew from the book. The Common Room was quiet now, the three titans on the floor stuck pondering on how to succeed. This was the part where Robin was supposed to offer advice. He'd been watching the game for over a half-hour now; surely he must have seen a strategy they hadn't.

But whatever idea he had thought of, their leader wasn't voicing. Without moving her head enough to take his hand away from her hair, Raven looked towards him, straining a little to see from the corner of her eye. Cyborg had picked up the game again, and from what Raven could tell Robin was perfectly fine with watching it. The fact that he seemed attentive didn't bother Raven; it was the light, content smile that caused her stomach to clench.

_So he knows what he's doing._ Raven thought, turning back to her book. _Why isn't he stopping?_

No more than a few seconds later, the back of his finger brushed against her skin, near the curve of her neck that led into her shoulder. Even beneath the glove's texture, the touch was soft. The start of a loving, delicate stroke.

An emotion scraped through Raven's chest, rough and loud like car brakes being slammed against tires. For a single moment, something else started to bloom underneath it.

A light bulb exploded across the room. Robin's hand snapped away as brief shouts came from Starfire and Beast Boy, already tense from watching a particularly stressful part of the game. The score that Raven now considered annoying sounded again, the ending of it leaving the room silent. She continued to stare ahead at the bottom of the TV, one thought resounding in her mind.

_That _wasn't _on accident._

"Uh, Rae?" Beast Boy asked. "You alright?"

Raven stood, pulling her cloak around her and using her energy to lift her hood up. But the black aura was shaky, performing her request in brief snaps and skitters of lightning. If there was ever a time to meditate, it was now.

"I... Just need some time alone." She turned, floating around the couch and towards the hallway. As the metallic doors parted for her, she heard Beast Boy speak again, directing the question to Robin.

"Dude... What happened?"

The doors closed, preventing her from hearing the reply.

* * *

Like the description said, more chapters might come! Tell me what you think :)


	2. Chapter 2

"Friend Raven, I do not wish to be the bother but it would do us all a great relief to know what is the matter."

Robin couldn't help but cringe at Starfire's wording. There were so many triggers in that statement, ones that shot pangs of guilt into him. _Friend. Bother. _Would this ruin their friendship? Would he be known as this creep, this _weirdo_ after this?

Starfire's hand rose, delicate fingers curing into a fist. She knocked softly on Raven's door.

"Raven, please. We will only try to help."

How could Robin help, when he was the one who caused it?

_Maybe it's not you. _he thought. _Maybe something else is bothering her._

_Yeah, right. And it happened to get her so emotional that a light bulb exploded at the same time I touched her neck._

His gut twisted at the memory. He was such an idiot. Why did he ever even think this was a good idea?

Starfire's hand lowered, her expression falling to sadness. He could tell her brain was working, worries and troubles colliding off one another. Expanding the situation into something bigger than it was.

Robin stepped towards her. "Maybe she'll talk to me, Star." he said. "Why don't you see what Cyborg and Beast Boy are up to?"

It was one plan that worked; Starfire looked to him, eyes searching his face for a moment. And then she gave the slightest of nods. With one last look to the door, she left, leaving Robin alone in the hallway.

He took another step, coming face to face with Raven's door. Instantly, he felt the air behind the door tense. Raven was listening; she had been all along. Listening for what, Robin wasn't sure he wanted to know.

Deciding to play stupid, he rose a fist towards her door. Right before his knuckles hit the painted metal, a thought occurred to him, emerging from the depths of his subconscious.

_If Beast Boy were to have done that—_the memory of his fingers playing with the ends of her hair flashed—_Raven would have moved right away. So the fact that she stayed means something._

His knocks hung in the silence. Robin forced himself to stand rooted where he was. And then, finally, her door cracked open just enough to reveal one violet eye. She didn't say anything, instead waiting until he spoke. Robin looked away, hand raising to scratch the back of his hair.

"Look," he said. "If it's something I did... I'm sorry."

Raven was quiet. And then, her voice came, questioning him in monotone.

"Is it really an apology if you knew what you were doing?"

Robin stopped, considering the statement. When the idea came to him... He had thought about her. Of _course_ he had; it was all about her. And he considered her reaction. Knew exactly what would happen. But that was the excitement in it. Not the fact that something like a light bulb was destroyed but how an emotion strong enough to destroy it was felt.

And he had been the one to cause it. Not Beast Boy, not Cyborg or anyone else. Him. That must mean something... more.

He looked back up at her. "I'm sorry I made you upset." he said, revising the apology. "If it actually was me."

Raven raised an eyebrow. Nervous, Robin grinned, sweat breaking onto his temple.

"You're right; that last part wasn't needed!" he said, putting his hands in front of him. "Sorry."

"You sure are apologizing a lot."

Robin relaxed, shrugging after a moment. "I feel they're in order." he replied.

He let the silence between them increase, carefully judging Raven's face from the corner of his eye. Her stare remained on the floor, searching somewhere to the side of his feet. Raven was thinking, considering whatever seeds had blossomed inside her mind in the past few hours. Considering... him.

"It's fine." She looked back at him, her bored stare hiding away any attempt Robin had at finding out more. "Anything else?"

Robin shook his head. "No. Well, not unless you wanna join us for pizza."

Raven stared at him, her silence telling Robin everything he needed to know. He gave a light smile. "Just thought I'd ask." He turned, starting to walk away. As an after thought, he stepped back, a little surprised to see Raven still watching him.

"We'll be back in a few hours. I'll put the leftovers in the fridge."

Raven nodded, the action quick and small. She was still thinking, still considering. Even after he started walking away, Robin could sense her stare in his direction. The door closed a few moments after he was completely out of her sight, and he couldn't help but feel a fluttering warmth in return. For the first time in a long time, he was excited about something.

* * *

AN: Huh. So back when the idea for this story came to me (somewhere around six or seven months ago), I had only really plotted out the first chapter. No clue how that idea came to me; I only know that I really like the premise and how that chapter turned out! In my frenzy of writing down bits of the story as they came to me, I also wrote down a very quick blurb on the start of this chapter (with Starfire and Robin at Raven's door.) From there, I kinda stepped into the dark and let these characters talk on their own. Writing Robin is a bit strange for me; I'm not 100% sure why he's evolving the way he is, but I guess it's not _entirely _OOC because we have no clue who as a person he is internally or how he actually thinks. hm... More ideas are flowing now!

Tell me what you think, please! More reviews = quicker the next chapter will be written :D (I know that sounds like some kind of bribe but ask any fanfiction author-it's so true!)


	3. Morning Wings

Raven awoke, her conscious almost instantly receding back to the fading dream land. Images that were now foggy, messes of her subconscious that she could no longer recall. But her bed was nice, too. She relaxed every muscle, sinking back into the soft mattress that nearly enfolded her in a half-embrace. Her eyes remained closed, hazy mind smiling at the cocoon of warmth created by her bed sheets. She wanted to stay like this forever, perfectly lost in the darkness created by her eyes, the coziness from her bed. But little by little, her brain was waking up. Thoughts were appearing; flickers and glimpses of ideas. Memories of something... that had happened.

Her eyelids pulled themselves apart, a deeper breath pushing out of her chest before she sat upright, still holding the thick blanket around her. It wasn't quite morning yet; not officially to her, anyway. The sun was just being to peek over the horizon. She still had a decent amount of time to grab her tea and meditate. And enough time to take in the view of her room, that beautiful shade of blue pushing through the curtains and lighting her surroundings. It was her favorite color; it was one of the reasons why she woke up so early.

She closed her eyes for a moment, gathering enough energy to pull herself through the floor and to the Common Room's kitchen area. But at the sudden thought of the alternate route, her swirl of energy fell flat. There was some light feeling in her chest, pressing against the back wall of her ribcage. Was that _apprehension?_ Was she actually _worried_ about taking no more than a minute's walk down a hallway?

One curtain blew away from the window violently, its fabric snapping towards her. She reached inside herself, extinguishing the emotion as if she were pinching out a candle. The curtain responded, silently falling back towards the wall.

Raven breathed out through her nose, resolving that simple action would be the only response she gave to the emotion. A farewell gift, because she wasn't going to think about its source.

Before her thoughts could keep her there anymore, Raven teleported out of her room, her cloak swirling around the narrowing blip of dark energy. She walked through the Common Room's wall completely dressed and immediately stepped into the kitchen area. She set about making her tea, calmed even further as routine slipped in, controlling her motions. She liked having her team bustling about but there was something special in these early morning hours. This big room completely silent except for the pouring of water into the kettle, the dense splashes filling to something more solid as the water rose about half way.

Even the clicking of turning the stove on was soothing. It set something inside her, flicking a switch just as her finger did a second before. The noise, the action. They were the start of a new day. A new chapter fueled by routine and spontaneity.

It was only when she heard the creak of the roof's stairs that Raven caught herself smiling. She banished the expression instantly, tucking the emotion and the fleeting memory away as the footsteps crossed the room, strides calm and confident.

"Morning."

Raven returned his greeting dryly, continuing to look down at the kettle. It was nothing more than a word—why was her heart beating so much faster? Because he had spoken to her first, because they had exchanged words? They have conversations all the time—why was this any different?

Raven knew the answer to every single question running through her head. It was the same three words. _Because of yesterday._

The sound of a fridge opening was almost enough to make her jump. She suppressed the feeling down, doing nothing but listening to the brief silence and then the closing of the refrigerator's bottom door again. She stood there, staring at nothing, as Robin's boots tapped against the kitchen tiles. He slid out a chair, sitting down and popping the newspaper open in front of him. Raven forced herself to ignore the sounds the paper made beneath his fingertips. She needed to breathe. Relax. Calm. This was an ordinary morning; a routine for both of them.

She stopped her string of thoughts, knowing it would eventually lead to the one thing she just didn't want to think about. Especially not now. Not when its subject was so close—_Dang it!_

The glimpse of anger was immediately shoved back. Her kettle finally sounded, whistling quietly as her tea came to a boil. It was familiar; enough to settle her thoughts back into place. She levitated the teapot, lifting it enough to pour into a mug she'd set on the counter beforehand. A moment later, she was seated across from Robin, doing nothing but focusing on her teacup. Eyes closed, both hands encasing the mug's warmth and feeling it radiate through her. Breathing, cherishing the scent and the fact that she could.

She stayed like this, halfway between being alert and in meditation, until suddenly, quietly, Robin spoke.

"It's nice to see you with a smile."

Raven looked at him, coming back to reality. The paper he held with both hands had been tilted, angled enough for Raven to see the kind smile playing his lips. It was genuine; like everything Robin seemed to do, the expression, the comment he had made, was authentic. Raven felt the ghost of her own smile rise behind her lips. She dismissed it, focusing back on her tea and raising it to her mouth.

"It's natural." she replied, the rim of the cup barely grazing her lips. "I wasn't focusing."

The corner of Robin's mask rose, an action that told her either he had raised an eyebrow or glanced at her in curiosity. Probably both. "Really? What were you focused on, if you don't mind me asking, of course."

Not thinking to take a sip, Raven lowered her tea back down and allowed the smallest of smiles to curve her mouth. She didn't mind at all. For someone to actually want to know something so personal... It made her feel... human.

"I was just... cherishing." she said. "Not really thinking about one thing in particular, but about all things. Everything, how our perception of what we experience is a matter of choice. It's... interesting to me. To take a moment and not think, not fight or worry. Just sit and be."

She let her words hang in the silence between them, trying not to say anything more or let the heat go to her face like it wanted to do. And it wasn't warmth from the tea; that much she would admit.

Finally, Robin nodded twice. Each slow and thoughtful, taking in what she had said. He didn't speak for another few seconds, and when he finally responded, there was barely a smile on his face. Instead, the kindness, that soft warmth, was in his voice.

"That's beautiful. Thank you, Raven."

Raven hesitated, not sure why Robin was thanking her or what for. But she nodded anyway, resolving that he meant what he said. It had helped him somehow; that's what mattered. She pushed down the glow that thought sent into her chest, distracting herself by finally taking her first sip of tea. Again, that sensation of a clean slate, a clear horizon, came to her. The sun finally rose, shining its light into the tower's largest window and brightening the Common Room. Raven let herself smile, meeting Robin's masked eyes from across the table and watching a smile of his own come to surface.

* * *

AN: So definitely a different feel with this chapter. I know, compared to the quick update before, this took a while. It went through some revisions, but I think I like this idea the best. Shows another, more mature side to both of them.

Oh, also, if you didn't notice, I actually have a name posted for this chapter! I'm calling it "Morning Wings". If a chapter name comes to me, I'll put it up, but besides that nothing about them is really significant for this story ^^

That's it. Enjoy the rest of your day, readers!


	4. Questions and Answers

**A/N: **And now for my next trick, reviving this fanfic! (Yay!)

After spending like a solid year on my pride and joy, _Leave A Scar_ (Fullmetal Alchemist), I've kinda hit a road block. So I'm taking a break and focusing on other projects like this one. Thanks for patiently waiting; here's a quick update!

* * *

He was acting different, lately.  
It would come in small words, the changes. An "are you alright" here, a "here, lemme get that for you" there. Attention he normally flitted onto other members of the team. Not her.  
Definitely not her.  
Raven narrowed her eyes at the Bird Boy, a name she'd attached to his spiky head a few weeks ago when the dotting affection began. She internally rolled her eyes; affection. If even...  
"Raven?" The familiar voice nearly made her jump; she felt a vase shake, never breaking. She looked, Robin's masked eyes staring back at her, one arm draped along the back of the couch. Beast Boy was staring too, from his place on the floor, neglected controller in his hands.  
The leader continued. "Everything okay?"  
She quickly nodded, using almost failing sparks of energy to lift her hood up.  
"Peachy."  
She sensed him nod once, and then with a "dingle-ling", the game was started up again. She glanced to the screen. At least it wasn't that same one (game) as last time.  
She noticed Robin scooting closer to her, hand becoming inches away before he spoke. Leaning over, trying to catch her gaze. She lifted the book, bringing it a little closer to her face.  
"I've noticed you've been reading more lately," he began. "Anything I could help with?"  
"No."  
He straightened just slightly, and Bird Brain refused to let the topic go.  
"You sure?"  
"Positive."  
She sensed him blink, slitting the mask a few times as she thought back to the reason she was reading a few extra hours each day. Getting lost in a world that wasn't this one, for starters.  
"Well, okay." He slid back, that hand of his moving away as well. "Let me know if there's anything I can do."  
"Friend Raven!" Starfire exclaimed from behind, nearly shocking the empathy into expression. "Has thou been feeling the downs? Might my Pudding of Sadness be of comfort?"  
With her hood halfway down and her hair a little frazzled, Raven responded.  
"No, Star." With a sweeping hand, the hood was replaced again. "I'm fine."  
Robin gave a light "hmph"; the same grunt he normally did when thinking about an answer to a particularly hard crossword puzzle problem. Not that Raven had occasionally peeked over his shoulder, tea in hand as she floated on by.

Was she simply another puzzle? The thought struck her as interesting; a question she instantly began mulling over. She supposed she _was _mysterious, with how much she hid from the other Titans.

Giving an internal sigh, Raven simply shook her head. She wasn't a problem worth figuring out.

* * *

He was acting particularly strange, after a fight with Cinderblock.  
Raven peered up from her evening tea, seeing their leader on the couch, magazine supported by casually positioned legs. Left ankle resting on top of his right leg. Normal, for him.  
But why the silence? Raven's eyes narrowed.  
In the stillness between them, she spoke, monotoned voice ringing out in the fifteen-foot space between them.  
"You aren't going to ask how I am?"  
Robin shrugged one shoulder, never missing a beat. "Figure you'd let us know if something changes."  
No, she wouldn't. And he should know that by now.  
_What game is he playing?_ Those violet eyes narrowed further, becoming slits.  
She was careful not to let the feeling brewing in her chest boil over; to let the emotion simply rest in an infancy. Just breathe, and feel it pass on by.  
She did exactly that, relaxing her eyes and turning her attention back to her book. Surrounded by black, text elevated in front of her and one page gently turning.  
"You've been meditating more; that's good."  
The page ripped, the wound only an inch long.  
"_Robin,_" she began with closed eyes, "I do not know what game you are playing at but please stop."  
Her brain was screaming like-minded words; her heart was jackhammering itself against her inner-chest. Sides of different coins. Different emotions.  
She stopped the feeling about to creep up, a phantom ghosting its way into existence.  
He was silent for a long while. And then his head lowered a little bit, quiet voice covering the stillness her words had created.  
"Sorry," he said. "You're alone most of the time. Figured you might want some company."  
Raven's shadow-covered eyes went wide. _That's_ the reason for all the attention?  
For a split second, her face grew warm. The napkin dispenser began leafing through its contents, an invisible hand roughly digging through. She reached inside, pinching the feeling out.  
"There's no apology necessary," she returned, voice a drawl.  
He instantly nodded, disagreeing with her in just a few inches of movement.  
"There is," he returned. "I'm sorry, Raven. I should respect your space."  
Guilt snarled her stomach, braiding the organ until the feeling settled between her lungs. Lungs that were working a little harder than usual.  
_Dammit._ The napkin dispenser rattled, a few dishes inside cupboards sounding against one another. _What can I do to fix this?_  
She didn't know. And the silence between them only stretched on. Raven felt lost, like she stood in the middle of a desert without an oasis to be found.  
Great.


End file.
